[Magazines] Autosport Readership Figures

[ss_collins]

Yeah thats really the thing about RCE our market is global, most of what we sell goes overseas. Autosport though will continue for a long time yet, MN worries me though - so hard to find now.

[chunder]

Thats nothing to do with readership, the fact that you cant get it is deals with distributors, selling magazines in supermarkets is now the way forward, and most are struggling to sell anything anywhere.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by ss_collins

MN worries me though - so hard to find now.

I've not seen MN in any of the supermarkets but newsagents and petrol stations seem to have it. You're not looking hard enough Sam

[adam46]

I have A subscription with Autosport and sometimes it's the only thing that get's me through a week at school. As I want to be a Motorsport Journalist when I'm older I always buy Motorsport, MN, Racecar Engineering (When seen!) among others.

[chunder]

If you wanna be a journo mate, take it from me, just keep sending stuff in, reports, news ideas, news stories. send em stuff online by email.

It's a very soul destroying existence hence why I don't do it anymore, usually you are either waiting for the current reporter to die so you can jump in his space!!

But good luck, get some experience reporting on stuff for papers, send stuff in to people involved at club level like autograss, motocross etc, shows keenness. Might be good to get a journalistic qualification too.

Develop your writing ability as thousands of people want to do this, and most will get jobs because of who they are or who they know. Develop a style, work out how MN,AS write their stories and write yours the same, the less subbing they have to do the more chance you get, and NEVER, EVER go over your word count.

It's tough, and I got out coz it's dead on its arse, and most of the time you are never paid and kept waiting. But keep the faith, lol!

[adam46]

Originally Posted by chunder

If you wanna be a journo mate, take it from me, just keep sending stuff in, reports, news ideas, news stories. send em stuff online by email.

It's a very soul destroying existence hence why I don't do it anymore, usually you are either waiting for the current reporter to die so you can jump in his space!!

But good luck, get some experience reporting on stuff for papers, send stuff in to people involved at club level like autograss, motocross etc, shows keenness. Might be good to get a journalistic qualification too.

Develop your writing ability as thousands of people want to do this, and most will get jobs because of who they are or who they know. Develop a style, work out how MN,AS write their stories and write yours the same, the less subbing they have to do the more chance you get, and NEVER, EVER go over your word count.

It's tough, and I got out coz it's dead on its arse, and most of the time you are never paid and kept waiting. But keep the faith, lol!

Thanks for the advice and forewarning Chunder! I already have done stuff for BOSS GP and am now in contact with Britcar's press officer Steve Wood (I will be shadowing him at Snetterton 'helping with the reporting process'!)

So we'll just have to see where it goes...

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by adam46

I already have done stuff for BOSS GP and am now in contact with Britcar's press officer Steve Wood (I will be shadowing him at Snetterton 'helping with the reporting process'!)

So we'll just have to see where it goes...

Sounds like you're doing the right thing - get yourself known around the paddock (for the right reasons ) and keep looking for opportunities. If there are any drivers or teams local to you maybe you could ask to shadow them and submit stuff to your local paper(s) - publicity for the team and experience (and published articles) for you.

[old man]

Very surprised when Senior Management brought this week's Autosport back from the supermarket. Not an F1 car in sight on the front cover and the Guest Editor is Mr D Bell! The cover and inside all about Group C, wonderful! It would be interesting to know how this affects sales this week?

[johngee]

I'm not a regular reader but being a Group C enthusiast, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the content of this week's edition. However, I noticed that it now appeares to be poorly printed on very cheap, thin paper and, if that continues, I don't think I'll be repeating the experience.

[bella]

i read it on my ipad, so the paper is of little concern to me admittedly. VERY enjoyable way of consuming the magazine btw, it fits in my handbag much better than the paper version *and* i don't have to fight my mum for it on a thursday

but these retro issues have been a great way of filling in the quiet times during the season - hope there's one or two more in the pipeline for the off season!

i'm also really liking the plus section on the website - it supplements the magazine content very well, particularly with special editions like this

[barnettracing]

Credit where credit is due. This week's Autosport is very good. The Group C features will actually keep me entertained for a bit, rather than providing the usual 20 minute cover-to-cover read. It helps when they put in a nice report of your race win too though!

[JimW]

Yes, I bought this week's issue because I am spending Friday/Saturday at the WEC round. (That way I see the exciting cars, including fr3.5, but don't get bored by a 6 hour race - sorry but I'm not an endurance race follower.)

A quick glance suggests that there is lots to keep me amused while sat on a rescue unit over two days.

(Since you ask; Sunday/Monday is at Mallory for a CSCC festival.)

Regards

Jim

[Alfa Fan]

This weeks Autosport is great, well at least the main feature, and to the standard it should be every week.

[MJones94]

Originally Posted by old man

Very surprised when Senior Management brought this week's Autosport back from the supermarket. Not an F1 car in sight on the front cover and the Guest Editor is Mr D Bell! The cover and inside all about Group C, wonderful! It would be interesting to know how this affects sales this week?

You're right, this week's issue sure looks very different (in a good way from the norm). I'll buy it tomorrow and check it out.

[Buildtech]

Interesting thread guys: I am able to buy Autosport regularly in Australia albeit always 2 weeks behind the current issue. For instance I haven't seen the Retro 1982 season edition yet; hopefully I will get it on Monday. But hear this: it currently costs me the equivalent of seven pounds twenty pence per issue!
No, I don't think it is worth it either - Autosport ain't what it used to be, but then neither is Motorsport in general; even if I still lived in the UK I wouldn't buy Autosport every week. Regular Sky Sports type overkill on F1 or lengthy reports on Indycar and GT1 is not for me. I have read the magazine for the past 3 decades, but today I often think, nah not this week. I think Autosport has had to follow trends and just reflects the current state of certain Motorsport, trying to present it in similar vein as it presents itself to the rest of the world.
However there is some great stuff to be found on the website if you look, which for me is well worth the subscription and allows me to pick and choose; although it will never give me the same pleasure as having the copy chucked on the sofa or the kitchen table when you want to steal a moment for a quick browse: but that's just showing my age. Autosport magazine could almost become a successful monthly now, but will always have that intimate association with one of my lifelong passions, long may it continue in whatever format.

[adam46]

For me these last two weeks have been pure bliss! The 1982 Season and The Group C Era are two points in motorsport history I really wish I had been alive for. I read loads about Motor racing anyway, and Group C is probably one of the one's I read the most about, but I will never argue with reading a little bit more about them!

[The Fat Clerk]

On the basis of the above messages I'm going to buy Autosport this lunchtime. Group C was my favourite type of racing and as I'm the MSA Steward @ Whilton Mill this weekend I will have plenty of 'reading time'

[eizox]

when did they bring in a 50 views on the website then subscribe?! I think i'll stick with DSC and ignore other motorsport from now on then.

Whilst i subscribe to Dailysportscar.com, the quality of their reports justifies this for me, i don't see what the reason is to subscribe to Autosport just to read what often seems to be news collected from elsewhere!

[Mystery]

I hadn't bought Autosport in a few years but as I was travelling alone on business to the Caribbean for a week I thought I'd get it for the journey.

The 82 edition was a superb read throughout and I'll almost be tempted to come back to the mag - better than the website now with the 50 story max. The GpC edition needs to be hunted down on my return to the UK for sure.

[Lorenzo S]

Originally Posted by eizox

when did they bring in a 50 views on the website then subscribe?! I think i'll stick with DSC and ignore other motorsport from now on then.

Whilst i subscribe to Dailysportscar.com, the quality of their reports justifies this for me, i don't see what the reason is to subscribe to Autosport just to read what often seems to be news collected from elsewhere!

It's 50 views per month. If you really don't want to fork out for a sub then you just need to be a little more choosy with which news items you read.

I also think it a little unfair to describe news on Autosport as "collected from elsewhere", as far as I know Autosport is actually one of the few news sources that actually has their own reporters at most events, unlike most internet 'sources' who merely nick their info from everyone else, probably from Autosport itself!

[The Fat Clerk]

Thoroughly enjoyed the read. I thought the F5000 piece particularly good. Have to agree with John Smith about the quality of the paper, and is the print getting smaller? or is that just the age of my eyes?

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by Lorenzo S

It's 50 views per month. If you really don't want to fork out for a sub then you just need to be a little more choosy with which news items you read.

Precisely. I would be surprised if there are fifty newsworthy stories in six months, let alone each month! Ignore all the "driver X eyes improvements" malarkey and it's easy.

Also, may I echo the positive sentiment behind the retro issues over the summer. They were very good. I think Autosport would benefit from a bit more history in it. OK, I know Motorsport covers that fairly well, but Autosport could add a bit more variety with the mountains of stuff they are sitting on. One single old race report or feature each week from any number of motorsport categories. If we can accept that Autosport has a far more casual readership than Motorsport, then perhaps it would be good to try and show these fans a bit of the sports history each month.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by eizox

when did they bring in a 50 views on the website then subscribe?! I think i'll stick with DSC and ignore other motorsport from now on then.

Whilst i subscribe to Dailysportscar.com, the quality of their reports justifies this for me, i don't see what the reason is to subscribe to Autosport just to read what often seems to be news collected from elsewhere!

DSC scores because it is the only way to get that specialist news. Autosport are competing against other sources. I too see that they do source a lot (most) of their own news. I've seen Autosport sourced news on DSC too. As for quality, I'm not a big fan of the quality of parts of Autosport, especially the F1 part recently. However I don't highly rate the quality of DSC's reporting either. I'm not saying it's rubbish just not high quality (apart from when Truswell articles appear). When I have subscribed to DSC the rationale is based purely on the availability of the specialist news. Which they have the market cornered, without them it wouldn't be there.

[retrognome]

Originally Posted by Lorenzo S

It's 50 views per month. If you really don't want to fork out for a sub then you just need to be a little more choosy with which news items you read.

I also think it a little unfair to describe news on Autosport as "collected from elsewhere", as far as I know Autosport is actually one of the few news sources that actually has their own reporters at most events, unlike most internet 'sources' who merely nick their info from everyone else, probably from Autosport itself!

We don't.

[Lorenzo S]

Originally Posted by retrognome

We don't.

Good for you!

Without looking at your profile I wouldn't have known who "we" is anyway but this is a thread about Autosport which I felt was unfairly being criticised.

I would love to hear your defence of some of the many websites that quite clearly pilfer their "news" from all over the internet though even if "you" don't.